


The Ishtar Family Bullshit

by jessitiz



Series: What Once was Gone, Again [3]
Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! - All Media Types, Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Gen, Hospitals, This family is a mess isn't it, What happens when the father you killed is back from the dead?
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-08
Updated: 2020-02-08
Packaged: 2021-02-27 20:35:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 805
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22611880
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jessitiz/pseuds/jessitiz
Summary: Of all the people who could have appeared close to where they started, the Ishtar Patriarch was probably the worst possible person for fate to choose.Now a family that has moved on from their destiny ordained mission must convince a man that his mission in life has been completed by the children who rebelled against fate, as a specter of the past lurks in the shadows.
Relationships: Ishizu Ishtar & Marik Ishtar, Ishizu Ishtar & Rishid Ishtar | Odion Ishtar, Marik Ishtar & Rishid Ishtar | Odion Ishtar
Series: What Once was Gone, Again [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1610380
Comments: 4
Kudos: 9





	The Ishtar Family Bullshit

“This is fine.”

Odion looked at his brother through the corner of his eye from where he was leaning against the wall. Marik was sitting, looking at a motorcycle magazine he had brought into the hospital with him, some new edition from a particular brand. Marik had spent much of the last month trying to decide what his newest bike was going to be.

Marik hadn’t turned from that page in over five minutes.

Odion was pretty sure it was mostly ads.

“This is good, even,” Marik continued, staring unseeing at the spread in front of him.

“Care to elaborate?”

“Someone was dead and now they’re not,” Marik said, resting the magazine in his lap as he looked up at Odion. “That’s objectively a good thing, right?”

Odion hummed. 

A loud thump came through the hospital walls, and they both flinched. The thud was followed by a low and loud, but muffled, voice.

Ishizu’s calm voice met it.

“I do feel bad, leaving all the explaining to her.” Odion said, as he relaxed.

“He won’t even let us in,” Marik replied. He returned to his page. He didn’t relax. His body had held a strange sort of tension all day. 

Odion saw him inhale sharply, before hearing that breath’s slow release.

“Are you ok?” Odion asked.

“Am I ok?” Marik said. “Are you? He tried to kill you.”

“Answer me first.”

Marik scowled at him. “I’m fine.”

“Fine isn’t good,” Odion replied. “What specifically is bothering you?”

Marik stood up and turned to face Odion. “You mean other than the fact that my father, who I killed, is back from the dead and insisting that we return home because he doesn’t believe such rebellious children could complete the duty of the tombkeepers?”

“Yes.” 

Marik blinked, his hands frozen mid-gesture.

“What else is bothering you?” Odion asked. “You’re distracted, and it started before we got the call to come up to Cairo.” Odion slid over and sat down next to his brother. “I can’t solve the problems you just listed, but maybe I am suited to handle a different one.”

Marik blinked again. And again. He slowly sat back down. Before looking down. And then up. 

“Um.”

Another pause. Marik sighed. “I slipped in the shower this morning.”

“Oh?” Odion prodded, not quite keeping the amusement out of his voice.

“Yeah, it was stupid. I think I bruised a couple places,” Marik said. “I hit my head.”

“Concerned about a concussion?” Odion asked. “We are at a hospital.”

“Nah, I’m fine. But that would’ve been what was distracting me before the clan called us.”

“I see,” Odion said. “Well, if you ever need anything, you have me, Master Marik.”

Marik didn’t respond. The two of them sat together for a moment, the muffled argument in the next room digging into the back of their minds.

“Just Marik.”

“Hm?”

“The duty of the tombkeepers has been done, and you’re my brother. Drop the formality,” Marik said. “ _Especially_ in front of him.”

Odion blinked, before setting his back straight and looking straight ahead. 

“Marik.”

“Yeah?”

Odion smiled. “Little brother.”

Marik looked at him. “Odion.”

“Lil’ bro.”

“Not that informal.”

Odion smirked. “Squirt.”

“No!” Marik laughed, lightly wacking him with his magazine.

“Kiddo.”

“Absolutely not.”

“Evel Knievel.”

Marik bent over, his laughter muffled but there.

The door to the hospital room opened, and Ishizu quickly stepped out before closing the door behind her, perhaps a bit aggressively, and slumping against it.

The deeper voice on the other side of the wall continued on for a moment, before going silent.

Odion and Marik both looked at Ishizu. 

She stood up, took a deep breath, before turning to them.

“He needs to stay here for at least a few more days before he goes anywhere,” she said. “And more if he pulls out his stitches, which our presence is likely to encourage him to do.”

“Then we’d best stay out of his way,” Odion said. 

“I’ll probably try to talk to him a few more times, if only to see if he’ll actually listen, but yes.” Ishizu looked back at the door before turning and walking around in front of them. “You two have likely been in Cairo more times than I have. Any food options you recommend?”

“I feel like Japanese,” Marik whined, letting his head roll back as he stood up. Even though the pose should have been casual, that tension had returned.

Odion frowned. He would need to keep an eye on his brother while this mess with their father was sorted out.

“That does narrow down the options a bit.” Odion patted Marik on the shoulder as he stood up and started walking. 

Marik fell into step behind Odion and Ishizu, and while the other two refined the family dinner plans, stayed as silent as the night.

**Author's Note:**

> Credit to [PuzlDragon](https://archiveofourown.org/users/PuzlDragon/pseuds/PuzlDragon)for bringng the phrase "Ishtar Family Bullshit," to my attention.


End file.
